The 2018 Conference USA Baseball Championship, presented by The First, continues Thursday with four full games on the schedule, along with the resumption of another. All of today's games are on ESPN3 and live stats through StatBroadcast are available on the C-USA Baseball Championship Central page.
Championship Central
Championship_Bracket
CHARLOTTE 2, UAB 0
BILOXI - The last time Josh Maciejewski walked off the pitching mound at MGM Park, he had just allowed a game-winning, walk-off home run to the opposition that ended Charlotte’s 2017 baseball season.
Flash forward a year, and when Maciejewski walked off the bump early Friday morning, he had helped extend the 49ers’ 2018 baseball season at the 2018 Conference USA Baseball Championship presented by The First.
Maciejewski, a first-team All-C-USA selection, allowed three hits in a complete-game shutout, striking out nine and walking none, as fourth-seeded Charlotte downed eighth-seeded UAB, 2-0 in the second elimination game.
“For him to come back this year, and have the kind of year he had, come out here like he did (Thursday) night, that speaks volumes,” Charlotte coach Loren Hibbs said. “We needed that.”
The fourth-seeded 49ers (33-23) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a single by designated hitter Zack Smith, and 2-0 in the third on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Jackson Mims.
Those were the only runs in the game, as UAB pitchers Tanner Graham (3-9) and Carson Jones combined to allow two runs on six hits. The pair walked three, struck out five and pitched well enough to give the Blazers (21-32) an opportunity to win.
Instead, UAB became the first team since Cincinnati to drop two games in the C-USA postseason without scoring a run.
In the Blazers’ defense, they wound up facing two of the conference’s toughest pitchers in Maciejewski (9-2) and Southern Miss’ Nick Sandlin, who was named C-USA Pitcher of Year. Sandlin scattered four hits in complete-game shutout, as the Golden Eagles sent the Blazers into the elimination bracket with a 2-0 win.
“How does the number eight seed get the two best guys in the league?” UAB coach Brian Shoop said. “(Maciejewski) was very, very good.”
Charlotte will face the loser of Friday afternoon’s Southern Miss-UTSA at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
LOUISIANA TECH 7, FIU 5
BILOXI - On the night Hunter Wells became the Bulldogs’ single-season hits leader, the first-team All-Conference USA designated hitter/first baseman made those hits count.
Wells’ two-run single in the top of the seventh inning broke a 4-4 tie and another single in the ninth set up Louisiana Tech’s final run as the second-seeded Bulldogs rallied past and then held off the sixth-seeded Panthers Thursday night in the first elimination game of 2018 Conference USA Baseball Championship presented by The First.
Wells came into the tournament four hits shy of tying Tech’s single-season mark of 88, shared by Raphael Gladu (2017) and Jay Adock (1980).
Wells went 1-for-3 in a 6-2 loss to seventh-seeded Rice that started Wednesday but did not finish until Thursday afternoon because of weather delays. Wells then hit four singles against FIU to help the Bulldogs stay alive in the elimination bracket.
“Hitters hit,” Louisiana Tech coach Lane Burroughs said. “He’s one of those guys you don’t coach. He came into this program just knowing how to hit and he’s been clutch for us all year.”
LA Tech (39-19) will face the loser of third-seeded Florida Atlantic and Rice in a 4 p.m. elimination game Friday.
“We told them on the bus, ‘Look, we know where we are, where it’s probably going to be the end of our year if we lose,’” Burroughs said. “We just told them, ‘Go play loose. Play so loose that you can be dangerous.’
“We went two-and-out last year, I was proud of them for getting this win. We’ve still got a lot in front of us, but proud of our guys. The energy was there, the passion was there, the dugout was on fire and we came up with the big hits.”
FIU (26-28) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a run-scoring single by All-C-USA first-team selection Eddie Silva.
LA Tech tied the game in the second inning on a single by left fielder Mason Robinson, and then went ahead 3-1 in the fourth on a run-scoring grounder by third baseman Tanner Huddleston and RBI single by catcher Chris Clayton.
But the Panthers put together four hits and a walk in the bottom of the sixth inning to score three runs and take a 4-3 lead.
Silva and right fielder Adan Fernandez had run-scoring singles and left fielder Lorenzo Hampton cracked a RBI double.
But the Bulldogs answered immediately, scoring three times in the top of the seventh. Second baseman Taylor Young’s single tied the game, and Wells’ two-run single put Louisiana Tech ahead 6-4.
FIU cut its deficit to a run on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Austin Shenton, but Wells’ single in the top of the ninth was bobbled in right field, allowing left fielder Mason Mallard to score an insurance run.
“It’s tough when you lose your last game, but I’m proud of the guys,” FIU coach Mervyl Melendez said. “Louisiana tech did things a little bit better than we did (Thursday) night.
“We played two tough games, against very good opponents. Louisiana Tech and Florida Atlantic, they’re probably both going to be in the NCAA tournament, and we battled them. We had a chance to win both games.”
Silva and center fielder Christian Khawam each had two hits for the Panthers.
SOUTHERN MISS 2, UAB 0
BILOXI - Conference USA’s Pitcher of the Year, Nick Sandlin, lived up to every line of his billing in the opening round of the 2018 Conference USA Baseball Championship presented by The First.
The junior right-hander turned in a complete-game shutout Thursday afternoon, scattering four hits while striking out 12 and walking just one as the top-seeded Golden Eagles (40-15) eased past eighth-seeded UAB at MGM Park.
“I am proud of every single aspect of our team,” said UAB coach Brian Shoop, who landed the Blazers back in C-USA’s postseason after a two-year absence. “Nick Sandlin was the difference.
“To participate on this stage, it’s just so important for our program. But, again, we just ran into Nick Sandlin, who’s just as good as there is out there.”
Sandlin (9-0) used 118 pitches to log his third shutout of the season and second of the Blazers. In two outings against UAB, Sandlin limited the Blazers to 10 hits and three walks while striking out 21.
Sandlin tied the C-USA postseason mark for the third-most strikeouts in a tournament game while moving into fourth place on USM’s single-season strikeout list with 135.
“He understands what his job is, and that’s to keep the opposition from scoring,” USM coach Scott Berry said.
“We’re just grateful that he was able to take the mound (Thursday) and that we were able to scratch a couple of runs for him.
“The storyline (Thursday) was Nick Sandlin and his ability to take the mound and dominate.”
USM left-hander Stevie Powers was expected to start the first game of the tournament against the Blazers (21-32), which had been scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
But weather delays Wednesday pushed the game into Thursday, and put Sandlin on track to make his 14
th start of the season.
“Found out last night,” Sandlin said. “Stevie was going to throw the first game, but then (with the game being bumped), with all the rest and setting up for next week (NCAA postseason), we just decided I was going to throw (Thursday).”
USM needed Sandlin’s “A” game because UAB left-hander Ryan Ruggles (2-4) and right-handed reliever Ryan Wesson gave the 17
th-ranked Golden Eagles all they could handle.
Ruggles allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, while walking three and striking out four. Wesson allowed just one hit of shutout baseball over three innings, striking out four.
“UAB, they really battled us,” Berry said. “They gave us fits. Their pitchers did an outstanding job pitching out of innings and really minimizing.”
USM, which posted 40 wins in a season for the third consecutive season, scored its first run in the second inning, without benefit of a hit. All-C-USA outfielder Matt Wallner walked, went to second on an error, third on a hit by pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly.
The Golden Eagles made it 2-0 in the sixth. After right fielder Mason Irby and third baseman Luke Reynolds singled and Wallner walked to load the bases, first baseman Hunter Slater singled sharply to right field.
But USM could not take advantage, as Wesson came in to shut down the rally, and USM could get little going after.
Sandlin was in trouble just twice. In the second, UAB first baseman Thomas Johns doubled off the left-field wall and catcher Stephen Dobbs singled to shortstop. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base and Sandlin hit third baseman Price Visintainer to load the bases.
But Sandlin struck out the next two Blazers to escape the inning.
Sandlin retired the next 12 batters before allowing a leadoff single in the seventh. He promptly got a double-play grounder and a groundout to third base and looked locked in to go the distance.
Sandlin worked around a hit batter in the eighth inning, and had to dodge a two-on, one-out situation in the ninth. But Sandlin got his last strikeout and then a popout to end the game.
“Definitely, the goal is to try and help save the bullpen for the rest of the tournament, and I was lucky enough to keep the pitch count down for the first five or six innings, and after that, I realized I’d be trying to go the distance,” Sandlin said.
USM will face fifth-seeded UTSA in a winners’ bracket game Friday, while UAB was to face fourth-seeded Charlotte in an elimination game late Thursday night.
RICE 6, LOUISIANA TECH 2
BILOXI - The seventh-seeded Owls did their damage Wednesday, though it took nearly 23 hours over two days for Rice to nail down a first-round win on the second day of the 2018 Conference USA Baseball Championship, presented by The First.
The Owls (25-29-2) scored twice on bases-loaded walks in the second inning and added a run in the third on a fielder’s choice grounder to lead 3-0.
Louisiana Tech second baseman Taylor Young led off the bottom of the third with his second home run of the season to get the second-seeded Bulldogs (38-18) back within 3-1.
But Rice shortstop Ford Proctor smacked his eighth homer of the season off the flagpole beyond the right-field fence in the top of the fifth inning, a three-run shot that gave the Owls a five-run cushion.
“That ball had a lot of depth left on it when it hit that pole,” Rice coach Wayne Graham said. “He hit that ball. That was one of those 10 a year he hit perfect.”
The game was suspended Wednesday after six innings after two lightning delays and then a continued threat of inclement weather. The resumption of the game was delayed Thursday by threatening weather before the teams were able to conclude the final three innings.
All told, the three delays on Wednesday and Thursday, totaled 5 hours, 10 minutes.
The Bulldogs pushed across a run in the eighth inning off Rice’s third pitcher, Kendal Jefferies, when shortstop Dalton Skelton walked, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on an infield single and error.
But Jefferies wrapped up his three-inning stint with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up his fifth save of the season. Rice starter Matt Canterino (7-4) went five innings Wednesday, allowing a run on two hits while walking two and striking out five.
Louisiana Tech starter David Leal (4-4) took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits. Leal walked four, struck out four.
Rice moved into a winner’s bracket game Friday with Florida Atlantic, while Louisiana Tech will face sixth-seeded FIU later Thursday in the tournament’s first elimination game.
“That’s the good thing about this team: We like our pitching staff,” Louisiana Tech hitting coach Travis Creel said. “We think we have the arms to stay in this tournament.”
UTSA 11, CHARLOTTE 1
BILOXI - UTSA hit for the cycle in consecutive at-bats in a nine-run, third inning to pull off an opening-round victory as lower seed for a fourth consecutive postseason Thursday morning at the 2018 Conference USA Baseball Championship, presented by The First.
UTSA (32-32) collected 18 hits, including seven in the decisive frame against Charlotte starter pitcher Chase Gooding (4-2) and reliever Phillip Perry.
“It’s just hard to recover from that,” Charlotte coach Loren Hibbs said. “We try to stay away from big innings because that’s what really hurts you in college baseball.
“But we couldn’t stop the momentum. We didn’t defend well enough and we didn’t pitch well enough, especially in that inning.”
UTSA leadoff man Bryan Arias became the 10
th player in C-USA Championship history and second in past two days to collect five hits in a game. Arias hit a two-run home run, a double and three singles. He also was hit by a pitch, reaching base in all six of his plate appearances, and scored three runs.
Roadrunners starting pitcher Chance Kirby (7-4) allowed an unearned run on two hits on 6 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking two.
The two hits, both singles, came in the first inning, as Kirby retired 10 consecutive batters between the second and fifth innings. He set down 18 of the final 20 batters and 16 of the final 17 he faced.
“To come out and swing the bats the way we did was just fantastic, and a great way to start the tournament,”
UTSA coach Jason Marshall said. “(Chance), if you look at the numbers, he’s just had that kind of year.
“We were fortunate to get those runs early and allow Chance to settle in. When he gets rolling with the strikes, he can be tough.”
Charlotte (31-23) scored an unearned run in the first inning on second baseman Tommy Bullock’s single before UTSA broke the game open.
Gooding didn’t help himself, hitting Arias with a pitch to open the third. After a lineout, center fielder Trent Bowles singled before Goodwin hit first baseman Tony Beam to load the bases.
Right fielder Dylan Rock tied the game with an infield single, and the Roadrunners took a 2-1 lead when Charlotte third baseman Jackson Mims’ throw went awry, allowing Bowles to score.
That ended Gooding’s morning and brought Perry from the pen.
Third baseman Chris Estrada walked to load the bases, and then the Roadrunners strung together four consecutive hits.
Catcher Garrett Moon doubled down the line to bring home two runs and shortstop Joshua Lamb followed with a two-run triple off the left-field wall to give UTSA a 6-1 lead.
Second baseman Aldo Buendia brought home Lamb with a single before Arias capped the outburst with his eighth homer of the season.
Bowles had a run-scoring single in the seventh and Jonathan Tapia’s sacrifice fly capped the scoring in the ninth inning.
Bowles had three hits for the Roadrunners, while Estrada, Moon, Lamb and Buendia had two hits each.
Charlotte will face the loser of Southern Miss-UAB in an elimination game tentatively set for 8:30 p.m. UTSA will play the winner of the USM-UAB game at 12:30 p.m. Friday.
Revised Game Schedule
Wednesday, May 23 (available on ESPN3)
Game 1 (3) Florida Atlantic 7, (3) FIU 4
Game 2 (7) Rice 6, (2) Louisiana Tech 2
Thursday, May 24 (available on ESPN3)
Game 4 (5) UTSA 11, (4) Charlotte 1
Game 3 (1) Southern Miss 2, (8) UAB 0
Game 5 Louisiana Tech 7, FIU 5
Game 6 Charlotte 2, UAB 0
Friday, May 25 (available on ESPN3)
Game 7 Florida Atlantic vs. Rice 9:00a
Game 8 Southern Miss vs. UTSA 12:30p
Game 9 Louisiana Tech vs. Loser game 7 4:00p
Game 10 Charlotte vs. Loser game 8 7:30p
Saturday, May 26 (available on ESPN3)
Game 11 Winner Game 7 vs. Winner game 9 9:00a
Game 12 Winner Game 8 vs. Winner game 10 12:30p
Game 13 Same teams as Game 11 4:00p (if necessary)
Game 14 Same teams as Game 12 7:30p (if necessary)
Sunday, May 27 (televised by CBS Sports Network)
Championship Game 1:00p
All Times Central